(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Women's Wellness and Research Center will introduce a unique model of care for critically ill newborns when the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is relocated from Women's Hospital to the new facility.
Approximately 2,000 newborn babies requiring intensive medical attention are admitted to the NICU each year. Most are born prematurely, with others having medical conditions or birth defects that require monitoring, medications or early surgical intervention.
Dr Hilal Al Rifai (pictured), Medical Director of Women's Wellness and Research Center, said, the new model will increase continuity of care and encourage even better outcomes for critically ill newborns. He said, 'The new model focuses on building a stronger bond between patients, parents, and their healthcare team, which we believe will result in a shorter length of stay, fewer complications, and improvements in parent involvement and satisfaction levels.
Once relocated, the NICU will be situated across two floors of the Women's Wellness and Research Center, offering a spacious environment that provides intensive and intermediate care to babies who are born prematurely, have a low birth weight, or have a medical condition that requires special care. The new model, which is considered unique, will eliminate the need to move babies within the NICU at different stages of care and will allow them to stay within the same location from admission to discharge. Babies will also be cared for by a single healthcare team throughout their time in the hospital.
'When a baby enters the NICU, their condition is assessed and the care they need is determined based on the level of intervention required. For example, our intensive care babies are cared for in a specialized unit within the NICU that is designed for babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation, who weigh less than 1.4 kilograms or may suffer from feeding, breathing or infection issues. Under our current model, babies who are currently in this unit will transition to the regular NICU as they grow and their condition becomes more stable. Under our new model, babies will stay in the same location, and will be cared for by the same team, for the duration of their time in the NICU, said Dr Al Rifai.
'Hamad's commitment to maternal and neonatal care dates back to 1975 when our first NICU opened. Our reputation for caring for high-risk pregnancies is recognized throughout the region. Many of the babies we care for remain in the NICU for weeks at a time and this new model of care will help create an environment that provides families with greater comfort and privacy, he added.
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